Question

What does the future hold for the problem of housing? A good deal depends, of course, on the meaning of “future”. If one is thinking in terms of science fiction and the space age, it is at least possible to assume that man will have solved such trivial and earthly problems as housing. Writers of science fiction, from H.G. Wells onwards, have had little to say on the subject. They have conveyed the suggestion that men will live in great comfort, with every imaginable apparatus(设备) to make life smooth, healthy and easy, if not happy. But they have not said what his house will be made of. Perhaps some new building material, as yet unimagined, will have been discovered or invented at least. One may be certain that bricks and mortar(泥灰，灰浆) will long have gone out of fashion.

But the problems of the next generation or two can more readily be imagined. Scientists have already pointed out that unless something is done either to restrict the world’s rapid growth in population or to discover and develop new sources of food (or both), millions of people will be dying of starvation or at the best suffering from underfeeding before this century is out. But nobody has yet worked out any plan for housing these growing populations. Admittedly the worst situations will occur in the hottest parts of the world, where housing can be light structure or in backward areas where standards are traditionally low. But even the minimum shelter requires materials of some kind and in the teeming, bulging towns the low-standard “housing” of flattened petrol cans and dirty canvas is far more wasteful of ground space than can be tolerated.

Since the war, Hong Kong has suffered the kind of crisis which is likely to arise in many other places during the next generation. Literally millions of refugees arrived to swell the already growing population and emergency steps had to be taken rapidly to prevent squalor(肮脏)and disease and the spread crime. The city is tackling the situation energetically and enormous blocks of tenements(贫民住宅)are rising at an astonishing aped. But Hong Kong is only one small part of what will certainly become a vast problem and not merely a housing problem, because when population grows at this rate there are accompanying problems of education, transport, hospital services, drainage, water supply and so on. Not every area may give the same resources as Hong Kong to draw upon and the search for quicker and cheaper methods of construction must never stop.

1.The writer is sure that in the distant future ___.

A.bricks and mortar will be replaced by some other building material.

B.a new building material will have been invented.

C.bricks and mortar will not be used by people who want their house to be fashionable.

D.a new way of using bricks and mortar will have been discovered.

2.The writer believes that the biggest problem likely to confront the world before the end of the century ___.

A.is difficult to foresee.

B. will be how to provide enough houses in the hottest parts of the world.

C. will be how to feed the ever growing population.

D.is the question of finding enough ground space.

3.When the writer says that the worst situations will occur in the hottest parts of the world or in backward areas, he is referring to the fact that in these parts ___.

A. the population growth will be the greatest.

B. standards of building are low.

C. only minimum shelter will be possible.

D. there is not enough ground space.

4.Which of the following sentences best summarizes Paragraph 3?

A.Hong Kong has faced a serious crisis caused by millions of refugees.

B.Hong Kong has successfully dealt with the emergency caused by millions of refugees.

C. Many parts of the world may have to face the kind of problems encountered by Hong Kong and may find it much harder to deal with them.

D. Hong Kong’s crisis was not only a matter of housing but included a number of other problems of population growth.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述的是随着人口的增长，食物和住房将是世界面临的大问题。除非有什么事情能限制世界人口的快速增长或发现和开发新的食物来源，否则在本世纪结束之前数百万人将死于饥饿或者患有营养不良。

1.A推理判断题。根据第一段最后两句Perhaps some new building material, as yet unimagined, will have been discovered or invented at least. One may be certain that bricks and mortar(泥灰，灰浆) will long have gone out of fashion. 或许一些新的建筑材料，正如无法想象的，至少将被发现或发明。人们可能缺信砖头和泥灰将长久地消失了。故选A。

2.C推理判断题。根据第二段第二句unless something is done either to restrict the world’s rapid growth in population or to discover and develop new sources of food (or both), millions of people will be dying of starvation or at the best suffering from underfeeding before this century is out. 除非有什么事情能限制世界人口的快速增长或发现和开发新的食物来源，在本世纪结束之前数百万人将死于饥饿或者患有营养不良。故选C。

3.A推理判断题。根据第二段第三句nobody has yet worked out any plan for housing these growing populations. Admittedly the worst situations will occur in the hottest parts of the world, where housing can be light structure or in backward areas至今还没有人制定出这些人口增长的计划。诚然，最坏的情况将在世界最热的地方发生，住房可能是轻结构或在落后地区。故选A。

4.推理判断题。根据第三段第一句Since the war, Hong Kong has suffered the kind of crisis which is likely to arise in many other places during the next generation.自从战争以来，香港遭遇了这种危机，在下一代这可能会出现在许多其他地方。故选C。

【名师点拨】

考点：考查社会现象类阅读